Shoe-creasing device.



PATENTEDNOV'. 17, 1903.

E. RORABAGK. SHOE CREASING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 23 1903.

N0 MODEL.

in 744,628. I NITED STATES Patented. November 17, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST RORABAOK, on SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

- SHOE-CREASING DEVICE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,620, datedNovember 17, 1903. Application filed July 23,1903. Serial No. 166,739.KNO ode To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST RORABAOK, a

citizen of the United States of America, re'sid.-.

ing at Springfield, in the county of Hainpden and State ofMassachusetts, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Shoe-GreasingDevices, of which the following is a speci'- fication.

This invention relates to devices for-creasin g the Vamps of shoes.Heretofore this creasing has been done at the factory, machines beingprovided for that purpose whereby the vamps may be pressed between diesto efiect it. All purchasers, however, do not desire creased Vamps; andthe object of this invention is to provide a hand-operated device foruse in shoe-stores for creasing the vamps of the shoes after they aremade; and theinvention consists in a grooved or fluted plate secured toone jaw of a pair of short tongs, to the other jaw of which is secured aframelike structure fitting over two sides of said plate to stretch theleather m'ore'or less over the grooved surface thereof. The creasing maythen be done wi'thabutton-hook or other smooth round-ended instrument.

In the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a shoe, showing the creasing device, partlyinsection, in operative position therein. Fig. 2

' is a perspective view of the forward end of the device. Fig. 3 is across-section through the end of the device and the shoe, taken in theplane of line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a fluted roll.

Referring now to the drawings, aindicates the vamp of a shoe, and b oneof the jaws of the tongs, 0 indicating the other. These jaws are unitedat d and provided with suitable handles e andf.

On the end of the jaw 79 is a grooved or fluted plate g, the fluteshbeingtransversely located therein.- These flutes have rounded contourswhen seen in cross-section, as in Fig. 1. Preferablythis plate is madeintegral with the jaws b; but this is not essential. On the under sideof the plate 9 is a boss i, which is tapped and threaded to receive athreade knobj.

On the jaw 0 there is formed a rectangular three-sided frame-likestructure 7c, the opposite sides of which, parallel with the jaw c,

fit over the two like sides of the plate g, the inner surfaces of thesesides of the frame being more or less beveled, as shown in crosssec'tionand in Fig. 3 and also shown in Fig. 2. The efiect of thus beveling thesides of the frame is is to stretch the vamp a, more or less tightlyover the plate 9 and in the direction of the lengthwise dimensions ofthe flutes h. This tends naturally to draw the vamp down into thegrooves, and the frame 0/, fitting well down over the'plate, as shown inFig. 3, will leave that portion of the vampto be creased above the topof the frame It, thereby permitting the use of a button-hook or somesimilar instrument which will not scratch the leather to force theleather by rapid reoiprocatory movements into the flutes. convenientway, though, if desired, a fluted roll, mounted in a frame with asuitable handle, may be used, such as is shown in Fig. 4. By holding theleather along each side of the block in the manner describedall of theslack which is necessary to form the creases in the vamp will besupplied by the drawing in of the leather over either end of the plateg.

Preferably between the handles e and f of the tongs the ratcheted postm-is located, being pivoted to one of the handles and passing through aslot in the other, one lip n of said slot being formed to engage theratchet-teeth o in the edge of the post. This particular method ofsecuring the handles together, however, does not constitute an essentialfeature of the invention. Some other device may, if desired, besubstituted for it. During the crease-forming process it is of coursenecessary that the plateg should be supported firmly againstthe sole ofthe shoe, and as this creasing device must be used on shoes of differentsizes the knob j is provided, which may be screwed in or out to providea proper support for the plate.

The frame It may be provided with notches p or other suitable marks todenote the location of the flutes in the plate g.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby 'Letters Patent of the United States, is-

- 1. Oreasing-tongs having two jaws, a plate on one of the jaws havingflutes therein-ex- This is the more 7 too tending transversely of ashoe, a frame-like structure located on the other jaw and arranged tofit over the sides of said plate at which the flutes terminate; saidplate and frame being arranged to grasp the vamp of the shoe.

2. Greasing-tongs having twojaws arranged to grasp the vamp of the shoebetween them, a plate on one of the jaws having a transversely-flutedupper, surface, a frame-like structure on the other jaw, arranged to fit[0 over opposite sides of said plate, and an adjustable abutment for thelatter.

3. Oreasing-tongs having twojaws arranged to grasp the vamp of the shoebetween them, a plate on one of the jaws having transverse flutes in theupper surface thereof; a framelike structure located on the other jawarranged to fit over opposite sides of said plate to draw the vamp moreor less into said flutes, and means to lock the jaws together.

ERNEST RORABACK.

Witnesses:

VVM. H. CHAPIN, K. I. GLEMoNs.

